Apples and Shuriken
by Canadienne Renegade
Summary: After the Ozunu fiasco, Mika never thought she'd see Raizo again, but fate had other plans. They head to LA together in chase of a mystical artifact - but it's not so easy to work undercover with a ninja, especially an emotionally constipated one.
1. Chapter 1

Grumbling to herself about finding a new place soon, Mika hiked the four flights of stairs to her flat in an evening gown. Huffing by the time she reached her door, she fumbled for her keys in a ridiculously fashionably small purse, cursing that she couldn't find them. As she accidentally spilled the contents of her purse, she stooped down and cursed all the formal events she was now required to attend, ever since the Ozunu fiasco.

Her popularity amongst the Europol (and by relation, the Interpol) had sky rocketed, and she, along with Myers, were considered the belles of the ball, and heroes of the decade. Which, admittedly, was nice in the beginning - it was nice to receive acknowledgment that she was right, dammit - but now these bureaucrats drove her mental. They were so dull. All they did was toast each with champagne for accomplishments they didn't even achieve - they were all paper pushers, for Christ's sake!

Nevertheless, there were some benefits. People took her more seriously, and in the last year since The Fiasco, she had been privy to increasingly more classified and interesting cases. She'd also been promoted, and her and Myers were now partners... which had its benefits, but it was little uncomfortable at times, thanks to the attraction between the two. She sighed, remembering how he'd looked at her that evening. Too bad they had both decided to think with their heads and not... with other parts. Career first, she reminded herself.

"Finally, you bastard," she muttered menacingly as she found the keys. Humming satisfiedly to herself, she opened the door and crossed the threshold.

Stepping inside, she tossed her purse onto the ottoman and then proceeded to collapse face first onto the sectional. She groaned in pain as she kicked off her heels - blasted, painful creations - and reached around back to unzip her dress when something flickered across the corner of her eye.

"Stupid cat," she muttered. "Get out of the drapes!" She pulled her zipper down, and simultaneously there was a loud thud from behind her, causing her to roll off the couch in fright.

"Did you have a nice evening?" a voice spoke out of the darkness.

"What the fuck!" she screamed, and tossed a crystal candle holder in its direction.

"Mika, Mika, Mika. What am I supposed to do with you?" he called, from the opposite direction.

"Raizo?" she asked in shock. "What the hell? Where have you been?" she clambered up from the floor, and placed a hand over her fiercely thudding heart. "And don't play sneak-up-on-Mika games!"

"Your crystal ornament is unbroken. I caught it. And your back is unzipped," Raizo commented nonchalantly, as he casually dropped from the corner of her ceiling. "And keep the lights on at all times. I see you still haven't learned,"

Mouth ajar, she just gaped inelegantly at him as he strolled over to the various light fixtures and flipped them all on. "I just came in!" she claimed.

"No," he corrected calmly, tying the silky sheen of his dark hair into a tail. "You came in, fell on your couch and rolled about attempting to undress yourself, regardless of possible dangers,"

She hastily zipped herself back up and face flaming, she babbled to hide her discomfort. "Would you like some tea?"

As he seated himself on her ottoman, she thought she saw an upward tilt of his lips, but it was gone so fast she wasn't sure. "That would be lovely," he agreed.

She busied herself behind the kitchen counter, trying to place her thoughts in order. She glanced at him as he stared out her window, and thought to herself that he looked far better than when she had seen him last. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it seemed he was healthier - his hair had more of a sheen to it, his chest was just the tiniest bit broader. But that wasn't just it... he seemed at peace, she realized. He did not seem happy (she doubted the dour man ever could be) but he was definitely lighter, in spirit, at least.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Not really. You've gotten soft. Fat,"

He growled half-heartedly at her. "And I see you're still not a size 34," Laughing, she tossed a dirty rag at him, and he chucked it right back at her. Smiling to herself, she poured his tea, enjoying the camaraderie they shared. As she set the coffee table with the tea for both of them, she pinned him with a glare as she seated herself.

"Now spill," she ordered. "Where the hell have you been? I haven't seen you since that night,"

"I see your promotion has gone to your head," he commented with a raised eyebrow. "I have been neither here nor there. Up to my old tricks, still, more or less. The world is not so welcoming to men with my skill set,"

"Oh?" she scoffed. "I would think life would be easy for the super powered ninja,"

"Hmm," he began softly as he sipped his tea. "It's death that comes easy to me, Mika, and life that leaves me confounded,"

Abashed, she didn't know what to say.

He waved off her apology with a flick of his hand. "Nevertheless, what I am really here for. A little birdie told me that you are heading to Los Angeles,"

She shook her head in awe. "I'm not even going to ask you how you know that,"

"Good," he replied readily. "Because I won't answer. A ninja is only valuable so long as he is in control of his secrets. How much do you know about the case?"

She gauged whether or not she could reveal her knowledge to him and then shrugged, figuring that he knew just as much as her, if not more. "One of the Asian Triads there have been increasingly active lately, and they're leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. They think their might be freelance ninjas involved, so I was advised to join the case,"

He nodded, and stirred some sugar into his tea. "The group has been active in their pursuit of an ancient Chinese artifact, rumoured to possess mystical qualities,"

Mika laughed. "Yeah, that sounds about right. I'm on the x-files team now, since having the run-in with the Ozunu Clan and seeing the impossible. Wait. Do you know what the X-files is?"

He shot her a droll look. "Yes, I am aware of Molder and Scully's exploits. I happened to come across it when I was flicking through channels,"

"I thought you said you didn't own a television," she asked, confused.

"Yes, well, the internet then," he replied off-handedly.

"Yeah, but then you would have to go looking for it," she accused with a smile.

Raizo ignored that, and continued. "Did you know the code name you will be using is Agent Kallisto?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Kallisto? What is that? Something to do with the apocalypse?"

Setting his tea down, he stared at her. "You know, for a glorified librarian, you do not know much about history or mythology,"

"I'm a forensic researcher, I deal with crimes and bodies," she defended. "Anyway, what's this case have to do with you?"

"Well," he began with a smile, and she suddenly felt chilled with worry, "I've been infiltrating that very gang for the last six months. I heard you were going to get involved, and I know that you don't have any contacts in LA. So you are coming with me. As my girlfriend."


	2. Chapter 2

Mika felt faint. That was the only way she could describe it. She distantly felt the blood rush away her face – and, oh god, was that awful-sounding gasp from her?

"What?" she asked, or rather, shrieked. "Why? Why do I have to be your girlfriend? How do you even know where I'm going?"

A look similar to irritation flashed across his face, and he began slowly, as if explaining to a young child, "I hate to be rude, but an African-American girl does not just waltz into one of the most infamous Asian Triads. Especially not when it is your first mission undercover,"

"It is not!" she retorted, indignant. "I've been on another undercover mission before!"

"Impersonating a bedroom dominatrix to an old, weak man who is heavily into S&M and then drugging him while he is bound does not exactly constitute as stellar undercover work," he snorted dryly.

She shot him a dirty look. "You need to get your nose out of my classified files. I can take care of myself. I actually have combat training now. Nothing like your elite ninja skills perhaps, but enough to go by. And I highly doubt that it is just concern for my welfare that brought you back –" and she could feel herself going red here "after a _year_ of no contact. I didn't even know if you were alright! Last I saw you you were bleeding all over the dojo floor!" Then, glancing at his steadily darkening expression, she hastily added, "not that you don't care. You saved my ass more times than I can count,"

Raizo looked rather constipated as he gathered together his reply. Or was that just his uncomfortable face? She needed a diagram to clue into his facial expressions and emotions. "Well, " he began with a guarded calm, " To make it into this gang you have to be strong. Ruthless. Intelligent. I am all three," he pointedly ignored her rolling eyes and blandly continued, "But you also have to prove your loyalty. That you are loyal to your brothers, and to your own family. For example, to a girlfriend or wife. An unattached man is seen as a dangerous man, since he has nothing tying him down. He is seen as not valuing family, and cannot be trusted to value his brotherhood,"

She looked at him blankly. He sighed.

"These men are questioning...my sexual orientation. They are beginning to think I lust after other men, since they have not seen me with a woman in the 6 months I have been with them. They do not approve of homosexuals,"

She felt her jaw twitch with barely repressed hysterical giggles. "Let me get this straight – the big bad ninja man needs a girlfriend because you don't want people to think you're gay?"

He glowered at her. "They doubt my sexual prowess. I do not lack it. I am a confident, self-assured man. I like ladies. They like me. I am not a man for men. I am a man for ladies. A lady's man,"

Mika could no longer hold it together. She burst into delighted laughter. "Not if you use that enthusiastic tone with women, you're not,"

Hmm, she noticed absently. Raizo was undoubtedly fond of glowering at her. "We both need an in into this gang, and we have to maintain an image for it. It's not like we have to be faithful to each other," he sounded disgusted as he said it, and a little part of her stung sharply. "It's ironic really – they just expect me to have a trophy woman, but will accept if I cheat on her – the more a man sleeps around the more virile he appears,"

"None of that makes any sense," she replied indignantly.

He shrugged, spreading his hands in a seemingly helpless expression. She marvelled at how innocent he could appear to be at times, when she knew better. The more she thought about the situation, the more angry she became. First, she would have to pretend to his girlfriend, and then sit idly by while he was free to whore around? The whole thing was archaic, sexist and downright absurd!

Glancing uneasily at her raging expression, he smoothly added, "You can...date around too, if you like. But you must make sure you don't get caught. They're very particular about their women cheating. If any of my 'brothers' or I ever catch you," and here he leaned forward with a frighteningly cold gleam in his eyes, "I will have to kill either you or him. I am honor bound. I _will_ kill him. So choose wisely if you decide to be unloyal to me. Stick with someone who you will not love, someone disposable." Staring at her unblinkingly with those dark, fathomless eyes, he nonchalantly added, "Also, you'll have to dye your hair blonde. I told them I have a blonde girlfriend,"

* * *

Mika swore to herself as she stalked towards her partner's office. She fought back a blush as her colleagues around stopped, some even staring at her open-mouthed with shock.

"Maslow!" she rapped sharply on his door. "You free?" She leaned on the door frame, a smile playing about her lips as she eyed her frazzled partner as he absent-mindedly waved her in, frantically digging through his messy file cabinets for some file or the other.

"Hey," he said distractedly, briefly glancing at her before turning back to his files. "Hold on, I'm just looking for –" he stopped midsentence, and turned back to her, doing a double take, his mouth dropping in shock like so many of her other peers.

She flushed under his silent appraisal, nervously playing with her newly dyed caramel-golden locks. _Damn you, Raizo. I look like a fool_.

"You – you- blonde," he stammered unintelligently. She rolled her eyes.

"Give the man a prize. I need to talk to you about the LA case," she replied, taking care to shut his office door behind her.

"Oh, right," he said faintly. "Have a seat," he continued abruptly, as he stalked around her and blasted the air conditioner behind her to full blast.

She looked at him questioningly, then shrugged and continued. "I found a legitimate reason to hang around the gang. We don't need to worry about my lack of contacts. But I will need a family background,"

"Who is your contact? I was just setting up a story for you before you came in," he asked, one brow lifting in curiousity.

She nervously waved away his question. The less the Interpol knew about Raizo, the safer he was. "What story were you setting up?"

"A father, actually," he replied, distracted by her fingers twirling around a ringlet. She stared at him. Usually, she would have never gotten away with throwing aside his questions. A part of her inside glowed. She had never managed to distract Maslow so successfully with her otherwise dusty womanly wiles. _Now I know why blondes are ahead,_ she thought to herself, smirking. "Yes," he continued, forcing his eyes to meet hers, "A father. Weapons dealer from Texas by the name of William E. Duquesne. He is one of our contacts, and his daughter has been attending boarding school in Germany for the last ten years- which is perfect since you are also fluent in German. She is currently trekking around the world on a backpack adventure. So no one will question it too much if you suddenly decided to come back to LA for some shopping,"

She shot him a disgusted look. "You want me to be a blonde, bimbo, Texan? You know I hate Texas," she added heatedly.

He rolled his eyes at her. "I'll never understand your hang up over Texas. That's where you're from, for Pete's sake! Your name is, and I truly apologize for this, but this is the girl's real name, Chanel. Chanel Mabelle Duquesne,"

She stared at him abject horror.

"Your mother is African-American, and she divorced your father when you were 3, and you haven't seen her since. She is in Italy at the moment, living with her Parisian lover. Your father is Caucasian, from an old-money family. He has no siblings," he continued blithely, pointedly ignoring her furious expression. "We believe that he has a male lover, who is currently serving over in Iraq. A childhood friend. You, or Chanel, should I say, is completely unaware of her father's sexual orientation, since she hasn't seen him in 5 years,"

"Sounds...good," she managed to strangle out. "That'll give me a good reason for my contact in LA to know me. He can pretend to the gang that he's interested in me for my father's weapons affiliation and contacts,"

Maslow nodded. "So who is this contact again?"

She stared at him, hesitating for a moment, before continuing smoothly in a lie. "An old boyfriend, from highschool. He works undercover for ATF in the states, and he's already integrated into the gang,"

Maslow didn't look pleased. "That's tricky, working with ATF. You know we like working alone. Make sure that he doesn't get in the way of your investigation, all right? And remember that all the information you know can only divulged in a need-to-know basis,"

She glared at him. "I'm your partner now, Maslow, not just another cop anymore," She gathered her discarded jacket as she sauntered over to the door.

He laughed. "Right, sorry about that love," he apologized half-heartedly, winking at her. "Love the blonde look on you. Smashing, really,"

Blushing furiously, Mika stalked out of there as fast as she could. _Stupid Raizo and his blonde fetish._

_

* * *

  
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A/N:

Oh my goodness! Thank you guys soooo much for the reviews! 13! I am shocked. Really... especially considering, to be honest, that Chapter 1 was not my finest work... at all. But you guys loved it regardless, and I love you for that!

However, because of all the reviews, I do feel it's my duty to go back and clean up the first chapter – you guys deserve better. I won't do that now, but I'll let you guys know in an A/N later when I do so. By the way – no one noticed I kept calling Maslow 'Myers' in the first chapter! Lol. My bad. I'll fix that.

Anyway, as always, please leave a review! Even if it's just a word or two, just to let me know what you think. You guys have no idea how happy it made me when I saw how many I had.

* * *

Now to reply to all my lovely reviewers:

Ms. Ace – thank you so much for the lovely compliments! I was actually worried about my characterization, especially of Mika, to be honest. Hope this chapter pleases you as well!

Tatyiana Mack – As requested, here is the next dose of Apples and Shuriken! Leave a review to let me know what you think!

Jarri Scythe – I know, regardless of what critics said, I loved the movie… but it seriously lacked some romance! So here it is, hope you stick around for the ride!

Aprilf001 – Haha, the last line, "As my girlfriend" was cheesy, tacky, and more than little cliché… a la fiction press style, lol. But I couldn't help it. This is meant to be a fun, light and adventurous romance.

AniGirl 7 – I'm glad you liked it! Here is the next update, let me know what you think! A 3rd chapter is soon to follow!

Passionate with A pencil-FLAME – Aww, thanks for the compliments, though I've barely gotten the plot out. Lol. But it will be good, I promise! Or at least I hope so. Thanks for the review!

Animediva1706 – let's hope it stays that way! Keep reading and let me know if my writing ever gets crappy or if I begin to disappoint.

Babyshan211 – haha, glad I made you laugh. This story isn't meant to be taken seriously. It's just my bit of fun, to help liven up the Ninja Assassin story FF list – so few stories!

Riinala19 – Thanks so much for the kind words! Hope this chapter pleases you as much as the last!

GeneralCuster – I was totally picturing a sequel to Ninja Assassin when I wrote this! It's meant to be cinematic – wait till the ending, it'll leave you in an awesome cliffhanger that will set up for the third 'movie' installment, lol! And yes, the treasure hunt will be abundant, and hopefully interesting!

LiLxArGeNt – aww, thank you so much! I was actually worried about their interaction. I thought it was too light-hearted and witty-bantery. If that makes sense. I hope you like this newest addition!

Nytbryd – I know, the movie left us wondering what happened to our loveable characters after the Ozunu fiasco! There will be many more ninjas to come… Enjoy!

BlueMizuki – last but not least, my first reviewer!! You made me ecstatic with your review. Aw, thanks, that's exactly what I was going for – I wanted them to settle into their relationship comfortably, even though they hadn't seen each other in so long.


	3. Chapter 3

Mika looked at the pink miniskirt dangling between Raizo's lithe fingers in abject horror. "Absolutely not," she ground out. "Do I look like I wear pink Hollister? Have you even _seen_ me in a skirt, ever?"

"No," he smirked, lazily eyeing her in a brazenly slow once-over. "But I have seen you in a dress," At her outraged blush, he added saucily, "And almost without it, too,"

She stared at him. "Who are you, and what have you done with Raizo?"

Snorting, he rolled his eyes and tossed the offending article of clothing in her direction. "I've told you before – we have an image to maintain. I am the stoic silent triad member –" he pointedly ignored her snigger "-and you are the ditzy daddy's girl girlfriend,"

"Well," she grumbled, "you don't even have to act to be a grumpy gangster. I am far from a ditzy daddy's girl,"

"People are less likely to suspect you if you were a bimbo,"

"Yes, yes, I know! That's why you wanted me blonde. That's very stereotypical of you, you know," she retorted, hands in the air. Raizo didn't bother responding, simply selecting more outfits for her, as she stomped after him, glowering and with a basketful of atrociously bright clothes. "How did we meet, anyway?"

"Chanel went on a school exchange when she was in Grade 11 to Hong Kong for a term. We will use that to our advantage. And unless I am mistaken, when you first joined InterPol, one of your cases took you to Hong Kong, so you will be able validate the story with background knowledge. You have ballet experience, yes? You took lessons as a ballerina in Hong Kong and that is where we met. My 'mother' was your trainer. She passed away shortly after introducing us from cancer. I have no father. You encouraged your father to facilitate my visa into the United States,"

"Oh… that's sad. So my father knows about us 'dating'?"

Raizo nodded absently as he rifled through some lingerie and she smacked him over the head, muttering that her underwear was fine, thank you. Snorting, he strolled over to the cardigan section. "He knows, but he doesn't necessarily approve. It doesn't matter anyway, because Chanel has not seen him for a few years. I'm a good-for-nothing brute," he said lightly, but she didn't miss the bitterness in his words. "But you're hopelessly in love with me and I'm using you for your father's connection with other weapons dealers around the world,"

"Well that's unfair!" she claimed heatedly.

He stared at her from over a pile of furry pink sweaters. "It's just a story, Mika,"

Huffing, she replied, "Yeah, but you barely talk anyway, you won't have to babble about this history between us. You left that so conveniently to me," she accused.

He shrugged. "Well, who do you think would be the better actor? You or I? You have a far greater range of emotions than I do,"

"Fine," she grumped, "Hurry up will you? I hate shopping,"

That brought a genuine laugh from him. "You are the strangest woman I have met, Mika. You do realize that's the majority of what you will be doing in LA? As my bimbo girlfriend, your priority is basically to spend my money on manicures and designer dresses,"

"Sexist pig," she muttered under her breath, looking away innocently when he shot her a wry look.

* * *

"Lights _on,_ Mika," Raizo murmured testily.

"Unnhh," she off-handedly replied. Absently, she thought that he was possibly the only person she knew who could murmur in such a negative way. Weren't they supposed to be romantic, seductive? No, not with Raizo. Everything had an edge.

Shaking her head of such asinine thoughts, she quickly refocused on the text before her. She peered through her glasses intensely at the faded and cryptic image before her, trying to decipher its meaning through willpower alone.

Peripherally, she heard an irritated sigh and a light swoosh as all the lights in her apartment flicked on.

"What are you doing?" he asked from somewhere behind her. She heard the tinkle of glasses as he opened various cupboard doors.

"What I do best," she replied unhelpfully. Dimly, she heard him mutter in Japanese. That bulge was clearly a door. Or a mouth. It was red, and traditionally most Chinese doors were painted that colour, but she could've sworn there was a tongue in that door. Or mouth.

She pushed the tome backward until it was supported by the wall, and then wiggled around in her chair until she moved herself a fair distance back. Tilting her head sideways, she reconsidered. A door. A mouth. A portal?

Yes! That was it. "A portal!" she cheered, jumping up from her seat and turning to face Raizo.

He stared back at her with a mixture of surprise and guilt. He quickly looked away, but not before she caught him licking a wad of yellow off the corner of lips. Her gaze lingered on his lips a moment longer than appropriate, until it clicked into place. She gasped. "You ate my lemon meringue pie!"

"I was merely tasting it," he replied demurely, suddenly busy with preparing tea. "I've never seen you in eyeglasses before," he added.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, laugh at the dorky researcher who wears eyeglasses. Please, roll in all the other clichés,"

He shot her a bemused glance. "Mika, Mika, Mika. You are too quick to offence. Personally, I think it suits you," before she could muster up a reply to his compliment, he continued, "What's this business about a portal, then?"

"Right!" quickly, she gathered all the papers scattered on her desk before joining Raizo, who was leaning comfortably against the kitchen island. She spread all the papers across the counter before him, gesturing him to the portal image. With a quirk of his eyebrow, he obliged as he leaned in beside her, and the waft of leather and sandalwood distracted her for a moment.

"Mika?"

Blushing, she quickly began her spiel. "So. The magical artifact. Tell me everything you know about it so far,"

"Well," he began, chewing on his words, "From what I've gleaned from the triad, as well as InterPol's reports, it is supposed to be a belonging of Zhong Kui, commander and vanquisher of all evil spirits in hell, according to Chinese mythology," at her encouraging nod, he continued, "So I deduce that it is most likely a weapon to vanquish demons or some such thing – and it will lead them to treasure, according to the Triad,"

"That's exactly what I thought!" she exclaimed. "But according to Interpol, your gangster friends have been in contact with their brothers specifically in eastern Chinese provinces to loot museums, tombs, and all sorts of other old places. But Zhong Kui is from the west. So I started looking into myths from the east to do with demons, as well as anything to do with treasure," Mika paused for dramatic flair.

Raizo's expression was ever unchanging, but his eyebrows did rise the tiniest bit. She grinned. "Annnnnd, it's not a weapon, it's a book! The Yellow Emperor was said have encountered a mythical creature, the Bai Ze – some kind of white cow-like creature – and it gave the emperor a manual on how to find, conquer and control all supernatural beings in the world,"

The quiet ninja beside her stared at the books before them in consternation. "But they're all locked away, under Zhong Kui's control,"

Mika nodded emphatically. She was in her zone. "Yeah, but look at this – Zhong Kui's dominion, according to this map," she tapped a lacquered nail against a fading diagram, "borders the underworld that belong to the fucanglong, or the treasure dragons,"

The light of realization dawned on his face. "They wish to command the demons to defeat the dragons by outnumbering them, and steal the loot for themselves,"

"Exactly. But there's a problem. This text is written in such an ancient, pictographic manner that I doubt there are very many people left who could decipher it. From the images – the door with a tongue – I know it's warning of something. But I can't exactly tell what. I mean, is it saying that the door swallows you up? You can't get back out? Because a one-way trip for the treasure would be lame,"

Raizo fixed a pensive stare on her. "You like studying?"

She blanked. "What does that have to do with this? Obviously, I'm basically a researcher,"

"Your greatest or ultimate quest in life would be one of knowledge?" he pressed, insistent.

"I guess, Raizo," she replied, exasperated. "But seriously! Why would a bunch of badasses from LA believe in this? I mean, really? Demons and deities in the 21st century?"

He looked as he had swallowed something painful. "The ninjas that have been seen there – while I was away from you, Mika, I confronted sister clan to the Ozunu with a rather disturbing discovery I had made. It caused them to disband,"

"So?" she queried, quizzical.

"These subsequently freelance ninjas must have inadvertently exposed to them the existence of demons,"

"That's absurd!" Mika exclaimed. "How?"

He looked over head and out the window, a dark expression on his face. "Mika, the things you have seen me do – no human can do that. When we were kidnapped as children, we were forced into a trance," He stilled. "I made a pact with a creature when I was in that trance, Mika. I am not human,"

She shot him a deadpan look. "Raizo, you are as human as I. You bleed like I bleed. You feel pain like I feel. You hunger, you thirst,"

He shook his head. "But I can flit amongst shadows like a demon, and I have the regenerative abilities of one as well. Why do you think the ninja clans have managed to survive for as long as we have, Mika? The lords of the ninja struck a pact with demon lords many thousand years ago. We were all given the ability of shadow-walking, and each clan a different mystical ability. The Ozunu ability is to heal,"

"I thought it was just some advanced form of reiki healing using ninjutsu,"

"No. These demons did not give us these powers out of generosity. In return, we become vessels for them. Each ninja is bonded with a demon-spirit, or youkai. Eventually, it takes over, and is released into this world. I found this out inadvertently from encounters with other rogue ninjas. And _that_, Mika, is the real reason I wanted the Ozunu dead. By killing the vessel I trapped the demon in a state of limbo, frozen between this world and the next. I wished to warn the other clans – but I could only get hold of one clan, the Hayabusa clan. I was able to encourage them into disbanding, so as not to bestow this curse on any more children,"

His voice was tight, angry, barely under control. She had seen Raizo determined, ruthless, and even more recently, somewhat playful, but she had never seen him so affected. His fisted hands shook with rage.

She wanted to touch him, but she didn't know how he'd respond to that. Something inside her told her to distract him instead. "What ability do the Hayabusa have?"

"I don't know," he confessed, smoothing his hair back in a frustrated gesture. "Each clan kept their abilities hidden from the others, so as to gain an upper hand in contracts and missions. Considering they are called the Falcons, however, I'd assume either speed or flight,"

She nodded, and bit her lip, unsure if she should speak her mind. "Raizo," she started softly, daring to lightly touch her fingers to his clenched hand on the counter. "I know you do not believe you are a good man," searching his eyes, she continued, "and I'm not going to convince you otherwise. But I know that this demon does not have you – not yet. You have it, you are in control. And I trust that you will always be able to keep it at bay,"

"Control?" he laughed bitterly, pulling away from her. "I'll show you control," Rigidly, he shrugged off his leather duster and tossed it to the floor. She watched warily as he grabbed the hem of his shirt next, and yanked it off, revealing a scarred, but toned, golden-brown torso.

"Um, Raizo…" she started uncomfortably, backing away.

With an indecipherable look in his eyes, he disregarded her discomfort and strode towards her and grabbed her hand. "Feel these wounds on my flesh, Mika. Tell me what you feel,"

Even though his face was a mask of rage, his hand around her wrist was gentle. Nonetheless, he drew her hand to his chest and guided it across the various scars. Mika didn't know whether to blush or to be afraid – for him, not of him. As her fingers trailed over the braided scars, she tried in vain not to notice the firmness of the muscles underneath her palm.

Her heart beat in a sharp staccato, but soon the embarrassment faded away into shock. "Raizo," she gasped, looking up at him in disbelief, "I can tell most of these scars were inflicted by others, or by weapons… but some of these newer ones. It's like something tried to tear its way out from within you,"

He smiled grimly at her. With hooded eyes, he leaned forward until he crowded her against the kitchen counter and placed a corded arm on each side of her, effectively trapping her against his chest. She felt the slowly, steady pulse of his heart, he was so close. He leaned forward until his lips brushed the curve of her ear and whispered, "You banter with me, Mika, even laugh with me. But don't forget for a second what I am – or what I'm becoming. No ninja has ever lasted past 30, except for the clan lords. I'm getting close. I may have protected you in the past, even looked after you, but don't doubt that it is not in me to kill you," She froze in the stiff embrace of his arms, unsure how to respond. "And if you insist on hanging around for too long with me Mika, I can guarantee you that one day I will,"

* * *

**A/N:**

Phew! Threw in a lot of information your way, and kind of went CRAZY with the Chinese mythology plus the demon-ninja thing. Eh, I invoke artistic license. I mean, those ninjas have to get their powers somehow! I apologize for mutating the Chinese folk myths – I don't know enough about it, so I had to twist it to fit the story's needs.

So, why did I make Mika blonde? I just wanted to throw in some weird humour there, show another side of Raizo (my Raizo does indeed have a bit of a blonde fetish – shh, don't tell Mika!) But you guys are right, it is hard to picture her that way… so picture her caramel blonde – like Kim Kardashian or Beyonce. Plus, she needs to change her appearances, being undercover and all.

One question for you guys – (I'm too lazy to google atm ) – how many clans are there again? 8? 9?

And now, time for my girlish squeal of 30 REVIEWS! INSANE! Seriously, this has been the most successful thing I've written in either or . I can't thank you guys enough, you have no idea how encouraging it is! I'm actually updating on a more or less bi-weekly basis! This never happens!

* * *

Now time to respond to my lovely reviewers:

**Bloodyhell95**: Aw, thanks so much! That's the exact feeling I look for when I read great fics, so I'm so flattered that I invoked that same feeling in you!

**Jarri Scythe**: Thanks I hope you're enjoying this chapter like you did the last two!

**Animediva1706**: Is Raizo going to cheat on her? Well, technically they're not even together…yet. :P You'll have to wait and see! And if you can't picture Mika blonde check out my profile for a link to a pic.

**Babyshan2111**: Well, I live to surprise. :P I want to keep you guys on your toes, it's the only to make things interesting! Glad you approved.

**Ms. Ace**: I love your reviews! They're so insightful. I'm glad you found the blonde bit funny, I was actually wondering if that would go over well, lol. As for LA, I was trying to get them there this chapter, but I think I'll have to push it to the next one. Also, your first review – about the Indiana Jones thing – I can't stop thinking about it! I feel like I'm setting up them up for it, lol. Mika, the researcher/librarian, Raizo, the swashbuckling adventure. Oh dear lord. I hope this doesn't turn into the Mummy 43434343. Lol

**Lizis123**: Aw, I'm just happy that I provided you with a Ninja Assassin story then! But check out some of the other authors – most of them are short drabbles, but there is one or two multi-chapter stories, I believe.

**BlueMizuki**: Hehe. Your review made me giggle – about the feeling faint thing. I completely agree with you on the topic of Raizo's dark side – they definitely did not explore it enough in the movie. You saw more of it this chapter, I hope it wasn't too heavy though!

**Kytana:** Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you're liking it so much! That's the best flattery a writer could ever ask for.

**Crunkn40**: Yes, lol, I did have to throw in the constipated look. Knowing me, you'll see it a lot more often. I mean, come on, Raizo barely had any expressions in the movie lol – just this look of discomfort – I guess the polite word would be 'consternation' not constipation, lmao. Thanks for subscribing!

**Crazikido2**: Thanks for your multiple reviews! I love that my story was able to draw you back in for re-reads I hope I am still pleasing you!

**UnderCertainCircumstances**: Cute is actually what I was going for! I don't want it to be too sappy romantic, or too angsty, but funny and awkward with a sprinkle of darkness. I know, Rain was so delicious in this movie it was ridiculous. But I guess that means he was far more airbrushed here than in his videos, lol. I also agree, I usually hate sequels, but if PotC can do it, so can Ninja Assassin!

**RikusAsanaChan**: Well, I put blonde hair in because Mika needs to change her appearance drastically if she wants to go undercover – plus, I just knew her reaction would be hilarious! Characters really do take a life of their own once you write them, I knew Mika would not be happy!

**KakaIru:** I'm glad you like this fic so much! I felt the exact same way when I watched the movie, and I searched for NA fics, and didn't find too many So that's why I wrote this! I'm glad I'm fulfilling someone else's need. :P

**RainyFae**: Thanks for the lovely compliments about the continuity – I write these chaps really fast, so I'm glad it's not choppy. Also, weirdly enough, do you have an account on fictionpress that USED to be called RainyFae? I think you once reviewed me on fictionpress, or subscribed to a story, lol – but ages ago. I go by Praxidikae.

**MistressoftheSandbox**: Here's your update, within a day of your asking! Actually, I was too lazy to update, but after I saw your review I just had to! I hope you enjoy this!

* * *

Love you all and please continue reviewing! It motivates me to keep writing!


	4. Chapter 4

Mika's flat was oddly empty without Raizo puttering around in the kitchen.

Even though he never spent the night (as far as she knew, anyway), his silent presence was somehow comforting. Over the last month she had grown accustomed to seeing Raizo out of the corner of her eye, usually with his head in the fridge (eating her desserts). She even missed his insufferably lengthy and ceremonial-like method of preparing tea. It was odd to go back to her old routine of bouncing research ideas off of only herself.

God. Did she miss him?

She snorted. She couldn't possibly; he had only been around a month before he (once again) decided to drop off the face of the planet. It had been a week since what she dubbed "the Event", and she had seen neither hide nor hair of him. She wasn't really the sort to panic, but Raizo was cutting it damn close, with her flight to LA in two days. Right. Mika wasn't panicking, Mika was _angry_. It was so irritatingly immature of him to disappear as soon as the going got tough.

_He has a demon inside of him; it's a pretty damn big burden to bear._

Mika groaned. Stupid conscience. She understood that it was something to be upset about, but couldn't he just shove the issue aside for later examination? That's what she had done, because frankly, thinking about demons inside of humans was beyond her grasp. It went beyond the scope of anything she had read, researched or, god forbid, experienced.

That's why the issue was folded and neatly put away, so when she had time to look at it, she could research the living daylight out of it.

_But you're not the one living with it inside you._

Grumping, she sighed as her cell's alarm blared, alerting her to the fact that her clothing at the Laundromat was just about finished in its dry cycle. She quickly slipped on a pair of jeans and a windbreaker over her tank top and made her way down the block.

* * *

Wrinkling her nose in distaste as she folded the atrociously frilly and girly clothes hand-picked by Raizo himself, she bit her lip in irritation as she realized she had already lost 4 halves of 4 pairs of socks. She hadn't even had a chance to wear them yet! It was absurd how often she lost socks to the dryer machine.

Mika gathered her hair into a bun and quickly fixed it into place with a pencil she saw lying nearby, and dove her head into the dryer in an attempt to find her lost socks, lest they be hidden in some nooks or crannies (...in the rounded dryer). Lint, some more lint, and _oh, _she thought to herself, brightening, some loose change and last week's washed out grocery list. But, alas, no socks. Huffing, she turned back with a frown to her basket of neatly folded clothes, only to pause in confusion. She looked wildly around her, but she was alone in the store except for the owner, so she ran quickly out of the store and scanned the sidewalks, but there was no one there.

She ignored the quizzical look the owner shot her as she walked back in the store, hesitantly approaching the mysterious dark brown drawstring pouch that had just appeared beside her laundry.

Classic Raizo move.

_Or another clan declaring you as their mark for the night._

Ignoring that thought, she settled on it being Raizo. But apparently he was still too miffed to show his face. Her hands hesitated before pulling apart the drawstrings, and she decided to examine it once she was back home. With more a spring to her step, she hurried in grabbing everything and shoving it into her car, hoping that she would find Raizo back home.

She lumbered up the steps with the basket in her hands and the pouch swinging from the belt of her jeans, messing about her pockets until she found the key and let herself into her apartment, and in her rush, tripping like a lumbering moron over the basket that she had just placed in front of her. Standing there in the dark, she sighed, rubbed her temples and felt like a moron for getting her hopes up.

The lights would have been on had he been home.

More disappointed than she would have liked to admit, Mika turned around and locked her door behind her, before flipping on the lights and leaving her laundry spilling dejectedly onto the threshold and made her way to her bedroom, kicking off her shoes as she went.

Flopping onto her unmade bed, she reached down and undid the pouch from her belt to examine the pouch. Some sort of satin, though it seemed rather brittle and... starchy? with stiffness. Frowning, she pulled open the pouch gently and pulled out what seemed like a... bracelet? She reached over to flick on the night table light, and examined it closely, her brow furrowing in confusion. It was simple as far as ornaments went, but it had a feel of agedness to it. The majority of it was a twisted black silk rope, which wound its way inside an elongated bead, which was a deep green in color, with 3 white arches inscribed on it. There were also white bands around the edges of the bead, and on closer inspection, she detected finely written white script throughout the entirety of the bead, but the font was so miniscule in size she had first assumed the script to be scratches all over the bead.

She rolled over to lie on her back and fiddled with the bracelet, a thought tickling the edges of her brain. The bead reminded her of malas of an eastern Asian origin – something that was used in prayers. Buddhist prayers... with that thought in mind, she lunged out of bed with the pouch and bracelet in hand, and headed over to her desktop computer. Quickly booting it up, she googled 'script bead prayer', and after a few tries and refining her search, she came across dzi beads. Feeling like a cat that got the cream, she leaned back with a satisfied smile. According to the blog, she had been right, and there was script inscribed on the bead – in fact, it was called the "script dzi bead". It symbolized power and mastery over all forms of communication, especially between heaven and earth, and in general was known as the "bead of archivists" and the "bead of scribes", which, she grudgingly had to admit, was a good fit for her.

But it was still rather odd of Raizo to get it for her. She wracked her brain to figure out why he could have possibly gotten it, and thought back to their last conversation ("the Event"). With a quizzical lift of her brow, she remembered him pressing insistently and asking _"Your greatest or ultimate quest in life would be one of knowledge?"_

Thinking it had been weird (even for him) at the time, she looked back down at the bracelet and shrugged, realizing that there was no such thing as random with Raizo. Setting the bracelet on the desk before her gently, she walked over to kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, before heading back to the workstation to do some further research on the history dzi beads.

Out of curiosity, she picked up the stiff pouch in which the bracelet had been and examined it closely for any other hints. There seemed to be specks of white edging the drawstrings, as if paint had gotten underneath it. But that wouldn't make sense. She put the pouch back and grabbed her glass of water and took a sip, then set it back, and after a moment's hesitation, slipped the bracelet onto her right wrist.

Shrugging in perplexion, she turned back to the screen and read a few articles from some academic journals, most of which reinforced the basic information she had found from googling. Yawning, she reached blindly for her glass and brought to her lips only to freeze.

She placed it back on the table and stared at it, hard. There were red smudges ringing around the glass, where she had grasped it.

The white specks weren't paint – it was the original colour of the pouch. The pouch wasn't stiff with age, it was stiff with dried blood. Her wet fingers had examined the pouch, and the blood had transferred to her hands.

Chilled, she realized that Raizo had killed for the innocent-looking ornament on her arm.

* * *

Taking one last look at all the seats around Departure Gate 34B, Mika sighed in consternation. She didn't know what she wanted. After realizing the nature of Raizo's rather disturbing 'gift', she wasn't sure whether she wanted to see him to call him to task on it, or avoid him entirely until she could safely get over it.

But a part of her had hoped that he would at least show up for her flight to LA. Especially when she wasn't too fond of flying, nor had she ever been. _It's not like he knew that, stupid girl,_ she told herself off, more than a little embarrassed that she was already so dependent on him, when he had barely re-entered her life, and she had lived her life fine for the past two decades.

Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, Mika gathered her carry-on and her purse and strode towards the awaiting gate. _Now or never, Mika._

"Mika! Wait!"

She whipped her head around and her breath whooshed out in excitement, a bright smile on her face to greet…Maslow.

"Oh," she said, her smile faltering for a moment, "You came to see me off!"

He quirked a sandy eyebrow at her. "Expecting someone else, love? Of course I came to see you off – you're my partner!"

Blushing, she stammered, "No, of course not, but thank you," shooting him a grateful smile, she added, "It means a lot. This is the biggest case I've been assigned yet,"

He smiled softly at her. "They assigned it to you because they know you can handle it, Mika. You've got guts, and you've got brains. You'll do just fine," He hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed her free hand and held it between his two. Mika felt her colour rise. "But that's not going to stop me from worrying about you,"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You can always track me through the silicone GPS chip on the back of my neck, Maslow. You'll always know where I am,"

Mumbling under his breath and tightening his grasp on her hand, he muttered, "But _I_ won't be there," Seeing her blush he coughed, as if embarrassed, and continued, "Don't hesitate to contact me if you even so much as get the slightest willies, all right?"

"Don't worry. At least I'll have back-up," she replied.

He snorted. "Yeah, probably some love struck high school sweetheart of yours," He let her hand and fall, and made shooing gestures toward her, gently nudging her towards the gate.

Laughing, she picked up her carry-on again and walked away, smiling and waving.

"Oi, Mika!" he called out behind her, rather rushed.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning her head slightly as she walked.

"Don't be gone too long – and when you come back, I'm going to do right by you. The upper levels can sod off with their rules – we're going to be together," He said determinedly, and by the steadiness in his eyes as he looked at her, she knew he would try.

Myers never made declarations that he couldn't follow through with.

* * *

"Are you all right, dear? You don't look too peachy," she heard a querulous voice ask her. Cracking open one eye, she gave a darting glance towards the elderly lady beside here, and managed to stammer out a reply.

"I'll be fine just as soon as this plane lands. Thank you for asking," she replied tightly – reminding herself to keep a polite tone.

The smell of lilac-scented powder wafted over to her as the old lady leaned towards her to reassuringly pat her hand. "Won't be long now my dear – just another half hour or so. Let me take your mind off the descent with a few stories…"

Sighing, Mika resigned herself to listen to the ramblings of a simply friendly senior, something which at any other time she wouldn't have minded, but not while she was trying to prevent a panic attack. _Just nod in the appropriate places, Mika. Or, rather, Chanel. _

That gave her an idea. To keep calm, she reviewed her entire 'history' mentally, and prepared herself for any questions Raizo's – or Li, as he was calling himself – triad friends would have for their pasts. Before she even knew it, and while under the influence of her neighbour's lilting and soothing tones, the plane was rolling on the tarmac.

_Praise the lord,_ she prayed fervently. Thanking and assisting the old lady with her stowed away luggage, Mika sighed in relief as she finally stepped off the plane and headed towards the luggage pick-up area. Ignoring the disdainful looks that her matching zebra-striped Gucci luggage pieces recieved (rather overstated and embarrassing, but Raizo had insisted it would fit with her heiress persona), huffing, she hefted them onto the trolley and made room for her carry on as well.

As she neared the doors to the walkway of the international arrival zone, she felt butterflies burst in her stomach in anticipation.

This wasn't just any assignment – this was the assignment of a lifetime, in a field she was enchanted by, in more ways than one. She had a feeling that everything she had known till now would be challenged, and both the mystic as well as criminal worlds would leave her astounded.

She only hoped that the latter didn't sweep her off her feet.

That was the biggest challenge with undercover assignments – if you were in too deep, and for too long, sometimes the lure was just too strong to retain the criminal persona. Fast cars, fancy toys, prestige and power – it was a deadly combination, more often than not even the most loyal agents' undoing.

"Li's girl, huh? You're cuter than he said you were," a voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Pardon?" she asked in surprise, not realizing that she had already been walking down the aisle. A dark, dimpled and lean man sauntered into view, grinning at her. She swept her gaze over him, noting the stylish grey jacket he had on, rolled up to his elbows, revealing the traditional triad tattoos expected of a high level criminal. According to his, he had killed dozens of people already, she observed with more than little trepidation. His hair was buzzed close to his head, and it suited him, giving him a hard, military-style edge. A diamond stud twinkled at her from his left earlobe, and his eyes, dark brown, were sharp as they took her in, and framed in ridiculously long lashes.

Smirk fixed firmly in place, he offered his hand to her. "I'm Heng, gorgeous,"

Fixing a perky smile on her face (just like miss perfect pants heiress Chanel would), she took his proffered hand and replied sunnily in a Texan twang, "Chanel Mabelle Duquesne. Pleasure," she added, lowering her eyelashes in what she hoped was a ditzy manner.

It seemed to work, because his swagger seemed to increase as he rather chivalrously took the heavy trolley from her. "Pleasure's all mine, doll,"

"I see you didn't get the memo, Heng. I said I didn't need any assistance picking my girlfriend up," She stiffened when along with the all too familiar baritone, a hand lightly pressed itself against the small of her back as Raizo sidled up alongside her, carelessly placing his arm possessively around her. "Good to see you, Belle," Raizo murmured, nuzzling her on the side of her neck.

"Oops," Heng chuckled, but she knew from the calculating gleam in his eye that it was not harmlessly. "My bad. I forgot! Just wanted to help a brother out with any problems,"

Raizo – Li – nodded coolly at him and took the trolley from Heng without missing a beat, leaving her side. "It's not for you to worry about, Heng. She's my PLP. I'll take this to my car," Without a further glance back, he sped along out the terminal, leaving Mika bewildered, and Heng, judging from the tightness of his jaw, slightly irritated.

"Um," Mika squeaked as she and Heng strove to catch up with Raizo. "Like, what's a PLP?"

He shot her a quizzical sidelong glance as he strode beside her. "That's his pet name for you. He says you always get in over your head. That you're his Pretty Little Problem,"

* * *

A/N: I'm a douche. I'm sorry. Bad few months for me. Was the PLP too corny? I'll cut it out from future use if it was.

I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, guys. Trust me, your positive reviews was the only thing that has kept me going lately. Now that I'm not working or going to school for the summer, I promise I will update regularly for you – so the next update in two weeks. Tweet me at farahtales if I get lazy.

I want to push this out as fast as possible, so I won't respond to any reviews here. I'll return reviews with PMs for signed in reviewers, and for the anonymous ones, I'll get to you next chapter.

Thanks for sticking around – I don't deserve you guys. And as always, drop a line.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Uh…. Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays? :D**

* * *

Mika had to work to keep the natural disbelief out of her voice when she next addressed Heng. He had made himself at home in the backseat of the SUV, lounging happily while he left Raizo to the luggage outside.

As she fastened her seatbelt in the front, she slipped out a sickening giggle. "There's like no way Li could come up with that!"

Heng snorted. "Got that right. He was wasted about a month ago, and I think angry at you. He kept saying that you were getting in over your head, and that you were 'such a little problem'. Then he kept adding 'But she's a pretty problem!'" Heng mocked in a ridiculous falsetto. "So the rest of us guys just told him to shorten it to PLP instead of constantly drunkenly trying to mumble out the whole thing,"

Outwardly slipping out another giggle, Mika thought to herself privately that that would've been around the time she had been handed this case. Although it rankled her that he thought so little of her ability, she had to work hard to squelch the warm glow at his compliment, backward as it was.

"Thanks for your help, Heng," Raizo shot nastily as he slipped into the driver's seat, aggravatingly banging the door.

"No problem, bro," the other man shot back cheerfully. "Somebody's gotta keep the lovely lady company! I'll do it anytime!"

Mika couldn't help but laugh and even stoic Raizo rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Heng, I'm dropping you off first –" he steadfastly ignored the other man's woebegone cries – "and I'll take Chanel to our apartment, where she can freshen up and we'll drop by the barbecue around 7 or so. Tell boss that,"

Her interest piqued, but Raizo's quota of words obviously filled for the day as he determinedly stared out at the road before him, she turned to Heng and asked, "Barbecue?"

He nodded back. "Boss man's been wanting to plan a group activity for a while now anyway, and now with the arrival of his best man's moll, we figured it'd be a good way to introduce you to the crowd,"

While she inwardly ground her teeth at being called a moll, she shot him a bright smile and mumbled about how excited she was to meet all of Li's friends. That may have been pushing it, knowing Raizo's social skills, as Heng could barely keep his face straight. Shortly after, Li unceremoniously stopped the car and shot him an expectant look, to which Heng rolled his eyes and clambered out the car.

As the two of the drove away, Raizo muttered, "Too friendly, that one,"

Mika burst out laughing. "So? What's the problem with that? Not everyone is monosyllabic!"

"Hn," Raizo said noncommittally. "Yes. I have been told I must work on my interpersonal and communication skills,"

Mika stared at him. _'Not going to touch that, even with a ten-foot pole,'_ she thought to herself wryly.

"I think you're fine, just the way you are," she offered, barely beating back the mad grin threatening to escape. Raizo did not turn to look at her or offer any words in reply, but his raised eyebrow told her exactly what he thought _of that_.

After driving in silence for a bit, Raizo spoke up out of the blue. "While I do not approve of your involvement in this case, Mika," and here she opened her mouth in a wide _O_ of outrage, Raizo beat her to it, "I am nonetheless… appreciative of your presence here. Going undercover solo can be quite tedious,"

She snapped her mouth shut like a clam, and glowered at him, while he studiously avoided glancing in her direction. What could she even say to that? He always followed something rude with something (in his own way) inordinately sweet, leaving her befuddled and silent.

Which, she amended, glancing at the quirking corner of his lips, was probably what he intended the whole time. Huffing, she turned to the window and tuned him out, but not before she caught a fleeting smile steal across his face.

* * *

Her mouth hung open in an unattractive '_O'_ of surprise. Raizo bustled past her carting her luggage, studiously ignoring her face.

"Raizo... this is... this is... amazing!" Mika looked about her surroundings with incredulity.

Looking around her, Mika couldn't believe that she'd ever left her apartment in Germany. Crossing the threshold was like stepping back into her old home; this apartment was embellished to Mika's tastes, to the tee. There, over the fireplace were beautiful blown up portraits of the Burmese longneck girls that she had taken herself; at the corners of each window were large and vibrantly green bamboo stalks that had trailing plants sprouting from the tops. The couches were plush and a warm cinnamon with cream-coloured throws haphazardly shed over them, the floor a dark mahogany with beautiful Persians strewn across, and each of the doors even had either an evil-eye ornament or a hamza hand guarding them.

But what pleased her most of all was the touches that didn't speak of her – the ones that were so clearly _Raizo_.

There were lamps, lanterns and light-stands – at least a few dozen, in the living area and the kitchen alone. Some glowed brilliantly, others were soft and diffuse, yet others were merely more than nightlights – but they were all on, combating the coolness of the dark floor with their light and warmth. There were the lamps she had admired in Tripoli hung over by the windows, Chinese lanterns by the balcony, and glass lamps filled with seashells, marbles and petrified wood on each side table. Aside from a few West African carved wooden masks on the walls, the majority of the artwork was East-Asian; Raizo had hung scrolls of Japanese haikus and Chinese stanzas, there was also scattered on the walls beautiful Korean paintings of the sea (she had never known he'd such a fondness for the ocean). There was even a glass showcase snug against a wall that contained not plates, but what appeared to be dozens of tea-sets and even more varieties of tea, clearly imported from around the world.

But what made her smile the widest were the innocuously placed _shuriken_ and _katana_ as if they were simply part of the décor; they looked absurd but it also gave the place a lot of funky character.

She turned to look at Raizo and found he had already set aside her things in what she assumed was the bedroom, had returned and was concentrating quite hard on a window, with his back to her. '_Aw, screw it,'_ she thought to herself, and launched herself at his back, wrapping her arms against his suddenly stiff body.

"This is amazing." She spoke into the dark folds of cloth on his back, muffled. "I love it. _Thank you._"

Slowly, his body relaxed, and a hand even crept up to grasp her two hands in his. He shrugged and she smiled against his shoulder blade, as he replied softly, "It can be… difficult to go undercover for such a long time. I thought it might help you unwind and relax to come back to a familiar home."

"You haven't made a home for me, Raizo. You've made a sanctuary."

They stood together like that, her arms around him, and her hands in his grasp, looking out at the bustling LA streets below, and a sense of contentment and peace stole over Mika that she hadn't felt in a long time. It calmed her nerves and soothed her, his silent but steadfast presence, because she was about to spend the next six months living a lie.


End file.
